October report shows rounds played fell again

October report shows rounds played fell again

The number of rounds played in the U.S. dropped 6.5 percent in October and contributed to a 3.8 percent decline for the year-to-date total.

Year-over-year, monthly declines have been prevalent in 2011, which is projected to post an annual decline. That would mark the fifth consecutive year the number of rounds played has fallen. In the past decade, the rounds-played total has decreased from 518 million to 475 million.

October’s declines were led by less play at private facilities, which reported an 8.8 percent drop in rounds played. Year-to-date, private facilities were down 4.3 percent. By comparison, public-access courses showed a 5.9 percent drop in October, and they were down 3.6 percent for the first 10 months of the year compared with the same period in 2010.

The National Golf Rounds Played Report is a collaborative venture led by Golf Datatech LLC, National Golf Course Owners Association, PGA of America and National Golf Foundation. Nearly 4,000 courses provided data for the October report.